ISL semis: ‘It’s all or nothing,’ says Mumbai City FC manager

Mumbai City FC players celebrate a goal against ATK Mohun Bagan during an ISL match recently. Pic/ISL

Mumbai City FC (MCFC) manager Sergio Lobera has claimed that today's Indian Super League semi-final first leg with his former club FC Goa will be a special game.

Lobera, 44, who took over the reins at MCFC this season, was sacked as FC Goa coach midway through the last edition. Under his stewardship, MCFC finished table-toppers (40 points from 20 games) and claimed the League Winners Shield after a 2-0 win over ATK Mohun Bagan last month. They also secured a place in next year's Asian Champions League group stage.

Mumbai City FC manager Lobera

Lobera said he has nothing to prove when he comes up against his former team, who finished fourth on the table (31 points from 20 matches), at the Fatorda Stadium, Margao.

"It's a special game but I have nothing to prove. You can check my history with FC Goa. We won the club's first title [Super Cup in 2019]. We qualified for the Asian Champions League. So everyone in Goa is aware of my contribution," Lobera said during a virtual media interaction on Thursday.

Ambitious bunch
When asked if the League Winners Shield will affect his team's intensity, the former Barcelona ‘B' manager said: "Not at all. I'm lucky to have an ambitious and professional group of players. They know how important it is to win the ISL trophy. My job as coach is to only manage the motivation. My players are very excited to do well in the semi-finals, keeping an eye on the title."

Mumbai City have a good record against FC Goa this season with one win (1-0) and a draw (3-3), but Lobera believes that counts for nothing. "That is past now. It will not affect the future. Those matches were for three points, while this is a different game. It's all or nothing now," the former Barcelona assistant manager said.

Meanwhile, FC Goa are unbeaten in their last 13 matches under new coach Juan Ferrando, 40. He admitted that his boys are under pressure.

‘Keep emotions in check'
"There is pressure, but I want my players to enjoy it. We have to control our emotions. It's not just about one game, it's about 180 minutes. It's a knock-out tie and everyone will feel the nerves. The team that handles the pressure well will have the advantage," Ferrando said.

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